


Jason Axeman Against the Cult of the Reptile God

by bodhranist, lillilah



Category: Dungeons & Dragons (Roleplaying Game), Pathfinder (Roleplaying Game)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Fantasy, Gen, Greyhawk, sword and sorcery
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-14
Updated: 2019-07-03
Packaged: 2019-11-17 23:46:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,409
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18108974
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bodhranist/pseuds/bodhranist, https://archiveofourown.org/users/lillilah/pseuds/lillilah
Summary: After the fall of the Temple of Elemental Evil, the Heroes of Hommlet are retiring from adventuring. Their former hirelings don't have that luxury. Jason Axeman decides to lead his company of misfits on a dangerous journey to Orlane, which is no longer the thriving village it once was. What mysterious threat keeps the farm folk huddled behind their doors? A simple band of mercenaries must survive a shadowy cabal of cultists and defeat its vile leader!





	1. Prologue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Xavier's epic poem about the destruction of the Temple of Elemental Evil.

South of the broad Velverdyva River  
Not distant from the town of Verbobonc,  
In darkness a corruption there arose,  
Grotesque and vile, to threaten all the land.

The Evil Elemental Temple's blight  
From puny spores of enmity took root,  
'Til its mad priests and monsters dared corrupt  
The fair lands to the north where good still reigned.

It seemed the might of worthy realms prevailed.  
The temple was locked fast by magic runes.  
Serenity returned, and peace produced  
That fertile soil in which abundance grows.

A decade passed before dire signs appeared.  
Marauders plagued the countryside once more,  
And good folk sent to Verbobonc for aid.  
Adventure's call brought five to Hommlet town:

With bow in hand came Spit, the druids' friend.  
Elf Diren's nimble blades would win renown.  
Young Moth brought stacks of elven magic scrolls.  
St. Cuthbert's priest, Pire scribed a Book of Sin.

Above them all tower'd burly half-orc Gnarsh,  
Who held his axe and tusked head proudly high.  
A kind soul, Elmo, told of an old keep  
Where minions of malignance skulked about.

From Moat House mire did frogs most dire appear!  
One swallowed Gnarsh, but he slashed his way free.  
Those frog-beasts could not daunt our heroes bold,  
Now what else might lurk there behind stone walls?

A snake, brigands, foul ghouls, bugbears, and more!  
Some slaves were saved from Zuggtmoy's cruel priests.  
A warhorse proved the greatest prize, although  
Strange news of further plots was brought to light.

From Hommlet our brave warriors advanced.  
The trail of clues next led the band to Nulb,  
Where Elmo's brother worked his forge, amidst  
A wretched swamp of scum and villainy.

The nearby marsh concealed a cursed shrine  
Whose high walls loomed with faces vile and wrong.  
Around its fastened doors crept rogues and rats.  
A fouler place no one has ever seen.

A side door gave way to their clever skills.  
Within lay altars 'round a basalt throne.  
They found a pit with stairs that led below  
To dungeons that were vast and full of doom.

Hobgoblins, gnolls, and skeletons they fought,  
And freed captives from their imprisonment.  
They led these rescued folk safely above  
Where each rejoiced to see the light of day.

The dungeon's rot had left all weak and ill.  
To Verbobonc they travelled for a cure.  
The rescued guards stood watch while others slept.  
One slew a wraith, and Axeman was his name.

Renewed, the party sought for further aid.  
A hearty dwarf named Thelden pledged his axe.  
An herbalist with hair of grey advised  
To seek four gems that fit an orb of gold.

They journeyed back to elemental lairs  
Beneath the temple's dark forbidding gloom.  
A pyramidal vault of earth held hulks  
of living rock with towering fearsome strength!

The prayers of Pire swelled Gnarsh with holy might!  
He charged forth to do battle hand to hand.  
His bravery had led him to this fight:  
A fittingly heroic final stand!

To win the day would bring so high a cost-  
The brash heart and comradery of their friend.  
Though without Gnarsh all would have soon been lost,  
A stony fist brought his life to an end.

With Earth defeated, three factions remained,  
In catacombs still further underground.  
And so again those still alive would go  
Below to deal those cults a stern revenge.

They slew a multitude of deadly foes.  
A trove of coin and magic filled their packs.  
They freed an outlander, and elves, and seized  
A frozen sword from blazing guards of flame!

A flanking rush to ambush from two sides  
Quite cleverly defeats the priest of air.  
Fierce Pire's lore brings to a crashing end  
The slick-tiled den of water rich with gems.

Returning to the surface soon revealed  
A havoc wrought upon their hidden camp.  
None but the rugged cook, Skewer, remained-  
All seized as slaves by the corsairs of Nulb!

An owl led Spit to track the pirate crew.  
The laden ship held more than simply men.  
With traps and spidery freaks below the decks,  
This rescue nearly sealed the company's fate!

But Theldin dove into the murky fray  
To hack escape from ruin with his axe.  
Revived and armed with loot from this assault,  
All felt prepared to carry on their quest.

Through statued crypt of monstrous forms they crept,  
To fungus groves whose over-eager host  
With draining touch this useful lesson taught:  
No touching! Those who try should have no trust.

The vast and winding maze was full of threats,  
But Diren spied safe paths among the traps.  
And under many veils of black witchcraft  
A noble prince lay bound within the tombs.

This lord they saved from bond was not the last  
To be released from grim captivity.  
Within the deepest lairs remained a few  
Held captive there by huge ungainly brutes.

Imposing though those titans may have been,  
Our battle-tested champions had no fear  
And each with his own hard-acquired skill  
Slew countless fiends of many times their size!

The crackling bolts of Moth had cleared a path  
To Elemental Evil's festering heart.  
In those accurs'd abyssal stony halls  
Began a great and vehement melee!

With spells and howls and crashing strokes for hours  
The cavern rang! But ere the day was done  
Each evil cultist fell, and wounds were healed  
As plans were made to bring the temple down.

The orb of power they'd sought? A gilded skull  
Beset with gems, each looted from within  
Some elemental void. An arcane rite  
Would end for good its wicked devilry.

When smashed and scorched and swiftly quenched, the orb  
Decayed to dust, and with a thunderous crash  
The temple also crumbled into ruin.  
A quiet snow fell gently on its stones.

Though Verbobonc is peaceful now, take heed:  
Malevolence will always wake again!  
But have no fear, among true-hearted folk  
Are always those who guard against the night.


	2. Decisions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> No longer employed as henchmen for a group of brave adventurers, Jason Axeman and those formerly under his command try to decide what to do next.

Xavier ended his recitation to the enthusiastic applause of the patrons of The Welcome Wench tavern. Hommlet was a small town, but nearly everyone had turned out to celebrate the return of the adventurers from their final battle against the Temple of Elemental Evil. It had been only six months since they arrived in town, defeating a group of bandits on their way. Their arrival had heralded a change in the town's fortune, and here was the result: the evil temple had been destroyed.

Outside, the morning's snow had calmed to a clear, frigid night. However, the tavern glowed with candlelight and the warmth of renewed hope. Peasants and farmers drank and talked. Elmo and his brother, Milo, who had returned at last from Nulb, sat together, no doubt discussing the change in their fortunes. Hiram Winslow, the cabinetmaker's apprentice, had brought out a flute and was trying to encourage the lovely Evangeline to dance. She coyly declined only to allow herself to be persuaded after a few minutes of the young man's cajoling. He struck up a tune, and she whirled, her long skirts fluttering around her legs.

In one corner of the tavern, the newly returned heroes sat, relaxed and cheerful, after the completion of their work. Moth, the young elf who gave Xavier his first musical instrument, waved the bard over to join them. Despite having died and been reincarnated into another race of elf, Moth seemed undisturbed by his trials. He informed the group that with his fortune made, he would journey south to the elven kingdom of Celene, where he hoped to find female companionship. Diren presented a stark contrast to Moth. Where Moth had the fresh, unmarred face of youth and long, blond hair, the other had short, dark hair and scars on his hands and face. Diren's usual reserved demeanor had relaxed this evening, a slight smile gracing his face.

"I want to become a dragon," Diren announced. "I used that potion of dragon form, and it was incredible. There has to be a way to make it permanent. Those books I picked up in the temple's dungeons might have something about it."

"Usually, if people are trying to do something really weird, they end up in Greyhawk city," Moth said. He didn't look exceptionally certain of this, however.

Pire, human cleric of St. Cuthbert, said, "Elves don't have souls, and dragons don't have souls. Seems like you're nearly a dragon already. I, of course, will go out and convert the people to St. Cuthbert! No longer will they live in sin and squalor!"

"Yeah, they'll live in guilt and squalor," Spit mumbled. A shaggy human with an owl perched on the back of his chair, Spit leaned forward and said, "I'm gonna spend some more time with the druids."

That wasn't a surprise to anyone, as even in the short time Xavier had been with the group, he had noticed Spit often heading off to see his druid friends.

Thelden looked up from his mug of ale, dark eyes flashing under his bushy eyebrows. "I've had enough fighting for a while. I'll retire."

"And do what?" Spit asked.

"Maybe settle in at the Moat House. Francoise and the bandits we set up there might be able to keep the pests away, but they sure as hell aren't going to do anything with it. Maybe it's time to fix it up."

And thus the evening wore on with discussion of the different rumors about dragons and lovely elven women. Spit left early, although when Pire started an especially enthusiastic diatribe against those in his Book of Sin, the others drifted away as well.

Xavier had moved to sit with the hirelings, those who had worked for the heroes, in companionable silence. As a bard who had adventured with the heroes and once been a prisoner within the Temple of Elemental Evil himself, Xavier planned to travel to Verbobonc to weave his tales and see where the fame of his former patrons took him. The morose faces of the hirelings told him that their prospects were less inviting than his own.

The group was quiet, staring into their mugs of ale. Finally, Pixie scooted forward in her chair and said, "We should put an eel in Pire's bed!" She had said it loud enough that Pire may have even heard her, and several of her companions winced. With her petite frame and dark skin, she looked more like a goblin than a half-orc and behaved more like one, as well.

It was Thomas Blackheart, former cultist of the Temple, who responded, saying, "And where in the dead of winter will we get such a thing?"

"Maybe there's one in the kitchen," she said, voice trailing off, as she rose and headed toward the bar. Leonard, a halfling whose village had been converted to the faith of St. Cuthbert by Pire, watched her go with concern.

"Nevermind eels," Ralek said, "where are we going to get money?" The dwarf's gaze traveled over the faces of his compatriots.

Lisa scowled at him. "We just got paid. Even you couldn't have spent so much already."

"'Course I could," Ralek said, looking somewhat offended, "but I didn't. Still, it isn't gonna last."

"If you were more frugal...." Lisa snapped, which started Thomas laughing. She turned on him, and Xavier wondered if the tension would cause the evening to devolve into violence - an inauspicious occurance to be sure.

However, the sharp slap of a palm hitting the table startled them out of their quarrel. "That's enough," Jason Axeman said. Underneath Axeman's serious facade, Xavier could see that the leader of the hirelings was tired. Undoubtedly, he and William Swordsman had been trying to find work for the group, but going from mercenaries to adventurers was a big step that brought with it a great deal of risk.

"There may be work in Verbobonc," William said.

"Not when we were there a few months ago, and even less this time of year," Ralek said.

Lisa said, "The Church of St. Cuthbert is usually looking for more temple guards."

The suggestion was met with a chorus of groans, over which Leonard said, "That sounds fantastic!"

Shouting erupted from the kitchen, and Pixie scurried over to the group. "No eels in the kitchen," she said, "and the cook doesn't want to give me any raw bacon."

"With a group this size," Jason said, "we're going to have more limited options."

Evangeline had overheard the conversation and made her way gracefully between the tables to where the group was sitting. She smiled and said, "You could go to Orlane. It's on a major trade route, and they are always hiring guardsmen. I have family there and could make introductions."

"Trade caravans could mean future business opportunities," William said.

Ralek looked pleased, and Thomas said, "Also, it has the virtue of being the best idea we've heard this evening."

William looked thoughtful. "Winter may not be the best time for such an expedition. I suggest we wait until spring. We'll need to prepare and gather resources for the trip."

Axeman nodded. "Agreed. We'll meet tomorrow to plan more. For now, Evangeline, let's talk about Orlane."

Xavier could feel the tension dissipating. Traveling to Orlane would not be a simple affair. It was a journey of several weeks, over the Lortmil Mountains, and across the wide plains of Gran March. However, the group seemed decided, and Xavier wished them well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We started out with a poem by Xavier the bard, who the heroes rescued from level four of the Temple of Elemental Evil. Since the second chapter is from Xavier's point of view, we stay in his voice. However, the whole piece isn't going to be poetry and fancy, high-style language. I apologize to those who love Gary Gygax's writing style. For everyone else, I just wanted to reassure you, so you don't immediately give up on us. For those who are wondering, Bodhranist wrote the poetry. Bodhranist is also in charge of writing up the character sheets, knowing how the grapple rules work, and telling me what Greyhawk history is well documented and what I can/need to make up. I, Lillilah, do a lot, but not all, of the prose writing. If you have any questions or feedback, please leave a comment. Thank you so much for reading!


	3. Preparation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Having decided to travel to Orlane for work, Jason Axeman and Company prepare for their journey.

William Swordsman whistled a tune as he wrote out lists of what they had and what they needed for the trip to Orlane. It had taken quite a bit of time to get everything sorted out. Their first planning session had been a raucous but productive affair. They had met at the Welcome Wench, glad to be inside and not out in the freezing snow. Lisa was, of course, the first to arrive and neat as a pin. The others trickled down from their rooms not long after. Even Evangeline had come, no doubt at Jason's request.

Just as Jason had begun the meeting, Xavier pulled a chair up to the table, which ended up being a boon. The first order of business had been to figure out the route to Orlane. While Evangeline knew how to get to Orlane from Hookhill, the capital of Gran March, Hookhill was on the other side of the mountains from Hommlet. However, Xavier remembered tales from other travelers, which was enough to give them some idea of where they were going. Still, a lot of details were missing, which meant that finding a map was a necessity. After all, they couldn't just guess how much food would be needed or where they would resupply. An expedition of this size needed order and organization.

The next order of business was the matter of horses. Jason had already talked to the Heroes of Hommlet, or whatever Xavier was calling them these days, and they were happy to sell the party riding horses. However, while that would work well for the lighter party members and for carrying supplies, a human in full plate armor was simply too heavy for a riding horse. When William was in full armor, he probably weighed at least 250 pounds, and Jason likely outweighed him. To carry the fighters, they would need light warhorses to move swiftly, and this was where the problems arose. Not only was a light warhorse twice as expensive as a regular riding horse, but they were hard to come by. Fortunately, Ralek said he had seen one at the trading post and one that was for sale in the stables of the Welcome Wench. That left four still to find.

Finding the horses was only the first step. They also needed the money to buy them. However, William had the solution to that problem. During his time working for the Heroes, he had been given a short sword enchanted to fight werewolves and other shapechangers. There had been a long-running joke during their time camped outside the Temple about the possibility that every animal within sight might be a were-animal. Since it was unlikely that they were going to fight an actual werewolf on their way to Orlane, William proposed that he sell this expensive, enchanted sword, buy a less expensive replacement, and use the difference to pay for the horses. When he wondered aloud where to sell it, nearly everyone at the table said "the moneychanger."

Pixie said, "If you want a new sword, you could talk to Jaroo the Druid. I was in the grove the other day and saw him carrying a shiny scimitar, but he also has a magic staff. It's not like he can use both. I mean, imagine him trying to use a staff and a sword at the same time! Also, he was going on and on about needing money for the poor, so, you know, you could buy the scimitar from him, right? And he could use the money to feed kids or something."

Using a short sword was never William's first choice. A scimitar was longer and heavier, much like the cutlasses that he had used while in the Free Marines of Dyvers. He looked forward to having a large, sturdy blade again.

The rest of that meeting had been spent going over the details of various supplies. They were lucky in that not only had they been recently paid, but also they had quite a bit of equipment from their time working for the Heroes. Still, it turned out that one meeting hadn't been enough to really get things organized. Their meetings were often fairly short, as many of the party tended to get twitchy if discussions wore on too long. This was for the best, as William had spent quite a bit of time afterward organizing the plan.

Truth be told, William was a little uncomfortable with the speed at which decisions were being made about the future of the party. He preferred well thought-out decisions that were made after considering a variety of options. While the life of a mercenary was dangerous, you could offset some of that danger by careful planning and preparation. Unfortunately, right now there was pressure on Jason to get a plan together in a hurry, because not everyone in the party could hold on to their money. To be honest, it was mainly Ralek who couldn't. On top of that, Thomas already had a reputation in town for having an eye for women.

William found it hard to begrudge Thomas his glances at the occasional fair maiden, as William too wanted to marry and settle down some day. However, married women were off limits no matter their beauty, as Thomas should well know. Between Ralek's debts and Thomas's flirting (and maybe also Pixie's pranks), Hommlet could become less than welcoming in a short time. Idle hands were the playthings of demons, after all.

Procuring a map had turned out to be fairly simple. Jason and Thomas, being the most charismatic members of the party, split up and walked around Hommlet, talking to people to find out if anyone in town had a map of the lands to the west. After a few hours, Thomas was directed to the carpenter, Max Conrad, who had come that way with his brother two years ago. Unfortunately, the map only could get them as far as the village of Silverlode just on the west side of the Lortmil Mountains. The two spent the rest of the day, and Thomas two days more, looking for a better map, but there was none to be found. That left them with Max Conrad's map. It wasn't perfect, but it would have to be enough.

While Thomas was scouring the town looking for a map, Jason and William went to sell the sword to the moneychanger. The shop was located just to the north of the Welcome Wench, with a sign displaying three golden balls hanging outside. A guard in chain mail stood by the door, wearing a sword and cradling a loaded crossbow in his arms. Two large dogs sniffed in their direction. Jason nodded to the guard, and the guard nodded in return. In a town the size of Hommlet, everyone knew everyone else.

Stepping inside, they were greeted by Nira Melubb, a short man who clearly had a taste for fine clothing. Melubb smiled and said, "Greetings, gentlemen! I hear that you will be leaving our little town soon. No doubt, you will be off to become adventurers. They say that there are bandits on the road to the north. I expect there is a reward." He said this last statement in a sing-song and gave them a wink. "Now, what can I do for you?"

William shifted uncomfortably at this discussion, but Jason stepped forward and said in his usual serious manner, "We won't be going anywhere before the thaw. That's for certain. We have a sword to sell." William handed Jason the sword, and Jason laid it on the counter. "It's enchanted and was found in the temple. A weapon with such a history - that's good luck."

Melubb examined the weapon, looking for damage, evidence of wear, and signs of its enchantment. He furrowed his brow in thought, examined a ledger, and then said, "I can give you these two necklaces, one hundred platinum pieces, and three hundred gold coins for it."

Jason looked at William. The necklaces were lovely, and the moneychanger was well known in town as a skilled jeweler. However, William said, "I don't know a thing about jewelry. We'll get Ralek and return."

Ralek had only just risen when they arrived at the Welcome Wench. While he was not known for being in a good humor when he woke, the prospect of looking at gems was pleasant enough that he dressed quickly and followed the other two to the moneychanger's shop. Melubb greeted them when they entered and showed them the necklaces, displayed in velvet-lined cases.

"Mmmm...." Ralek said, "Look at how the aquamarine and tourmalines complement each other. The silver setting is delicate without being overwhelmed by the stones. And here, note how the jet has been carved." Ralek pointed out the black stone in the shape of a dragon's head. William tried to look interested. "The theme fits well with the fire opal, like burning coals!"

Jason leaned down and asked, "Are they worth four thousand gold coins?"

Examining the necklaces, Ralek said, "Yes."

Jason looked to Melubb and said, "We have a deal."

While prices were usually in gold, silver, or copper pieces, it wasn't unusual to pay or be paid in gems or jewelry. They were getting a better price than William had been expecting, which would make things a little easier. If only the moneychanger hadn't brought up being an adventurer.... Being a mercenary was dangerous work, but besides truly unusual events like being captured by a cult of evil fanatics, you generally were prepared for the occasional bandits or orc that you would face. Adventurers, on the other hand, _sought out_ danger. They went into dungeons, fought dragons and liches, often dying at least once before finishing their quest. William could appreciate the lure of glory and wealth as much anyone, but it wasn't glory that called to him. He wanted only to make enough to comfortably settle down and raise a family. The thought of hearing the little feet of his children running through his home filled him with longing.

"You should try to keep the one with the aquamarine," Ralek said quietly as they left the shop.

"What?" William said. He had been thinking about his future bride's bright smile.

Ralek looked up at him with a bit of a snarl and said, "The blue necklace, Moneybags: you should try to keep it, if you can. The stones are slightly better quality than the opal and jet, although the dragon carving looks more impressive at first."

"Thank you, Ralek. That's useful information," Jason said.

William sighed as Ralek preened. The dwarf was a bit of a peacock for William's tastes, but he was impressed with Jason's ability to keep the peace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case you are wondering about the names for the characters referenced so far, they come from a variety of different sources. First, there are the characters who were named in the original Temple of Elemental Evil module, like Elmo, Milo, Rufus, and Burne. I ran the module for a group of friends, who played the characters Moth, Diren, Spit, Gnarsh, and Thelden. (I also hand-painted maps for the moat house and every level of the dungeon, which was great fun.) During preparation, I also named, probably with the help of an online generator, and wrote up stats for every single character in Hommlet (in the module), so that is where some of the other character names came from. Lastly, there are the characters who I named on the fly during the game, which is where we get Xavier the bard, Jason Axeman, William Swordsman, Leonard the halfling lumberjack, and others. It is a strange collection of names from different sources, but I thought that it was worth it to stay true to the source material.


	4. The Queen of the Boatmen's Tavern

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Buying a warhorse in Nulb proves a bit of a challenge.

After waiting out three days of heavy snow, it looked like they might get a clear day, so Axeman said they all were going to Nulb. Supposedly, someone there had a warhorse for sale. That was why Skewer Tees, along with everyone else under Jason Axeman's command, was out in the snowy yard of the Welcome Wench at sun-up. Of course, he had been up for a while, being used to waking before the others to cook breakfast. The sun didn't rise until fairly late this time of year anyway, but nonetheless Ralek Darkhammer was grumbling, no doubt offended about the interruption of his beauty sleep. Skewer ignored him. He was Axeman's problem.

The two warhorses that Axeman had already bought were saddled and waiting just outside the stables.

"Skewer," Axeman said, standing next to a black horse, "you'll ride up front on Baltus here and break our path. Leonard, you'll bring up the rear on Dancer, the palomino, along with the camping gear. William and I heard that there are bandits on the road to the north, so keep your eyes open, everyone."

Skewer Tees walked over to the large black horse. Baltus looked at him and snorted. Skewer pulled an apple out of his pocket that he'd planned on eating with lunch, unsheathed his knife, and cut the apple into quarters. The horse watched him. Skewer held his hand out flat to the warhorse with a piece of apple in it. The horse leaned toward him and picked up the apple, chewed it, and then sniffed for more. Skewer gave him another piece, checked the saddle, and then swung his gangly form up. Baltus snorted again but otherwise remained calm. While the stablehand boosted Leonard into his saddle, Skewer leaned down and stroked Baltus's shoulder.

Normally, the trip to Nulb took about half a day, but with all the snow, it would take longer, so they planned to camp. Their tents, gear, and Skewer's cooking pot were tied on behind Leonard's halfling-sized saddle.

When Leonard was settled, Axeman said, "Let's march!"

Skewer turned Baltus toward the east and gave him a little nudge with his legs. The horse stood stock still. Skewer nudged him a little harder, but still there was no response.

"Oh, is that how you're gonna be?" Skewer said. "Maybe I'll keep my apple to myself next time."

Baltus snorted again and stepped forward, swishing his long tail as he gave in to Skewer's coaxing.

The road was nothing but a packed path through the clean, white snow, winding between thatch-roofed buildings and past leafless trees as it led out of town. Looming off to the south was the guard tower belonging to Rufus the Fighter and Burne the Wizard. Work constructing the castle around the tower had stopped for the winter, although the outer walls had come a long way from when Skewer first saw them. As they reached the tower, a woman guard, one of Burne's Badgers, shouted a greeting.

"Get held up by the snow?" she asked, walking down to the path.

"Yeah, we're heading to Nulb to buy a warhorse," William said.

"I heard you bought a scimitar from Jaroo. If you are looking to try it out, you are in luck. There are bandits on the road." she said.

"I heard," William replied.

She shrugged and said, "Well, Burne's offering a reward. Just sayin'."

William grunted, which Skewer took as his signal to continue on. He gave Baltus a squeeze with his legs, and they started forward again.

Past the tower, there had been no foot traffic to pack down the snow. Baltus and the rest of the company were soon breathing heavily with the effort of forging a trail through the drifts that covered the Low Road. The winding route led them through the valleys of the Kron Hills and past countless thickets of tangled, frosted scrub. The sun was hidden behind gray clouds, and large, lazy snowflakes began drifting down as the group stopped for their mid-day meal by one of the frequent groves of trees. The clustered red berries of a few rowan trees stood out among the oaks, and Skewer watched as waxwings gulped the berries down and flitted away.

No one wasted words as they packed up and continued. They had occasionally been out in worse weather, but it was still cold. Trudging through the snow was exhausting, and everyone wanted to save their effort for travel. Nulb was a dismal, sorry place on the edge of a swamp, but it was better than being stuck out in the rugged, frigid hills at night. Probably.

The bridge over the Imeryds Run came into sight just as the sun was setting. Skewer kept an eye on a small house off to the left of the road. The little old lady who lived there always threw rocks at the last person in the group. He didn't see movement, but as his horse's hooves touched the road on the other side of the bridge he heard Leonard yelp. It seemed nothing had changed.

Axeman called to Skewer to hold up beside The Waterside Hostel, so he led Baltus off the path and dismounted, glad to be out of the saddle.

"William, you take Leonard, Lisa, and Ralek to the old camp site and set up tents. Take Baltus with you, too. Leonard, get some food started. Skewer knows horses best, so I want him with us," Axeman said.

William Swordsman nodded and said, "You heard the man. Let's get to camp. It isn't far now."

Skewer handed Baltus's reins to Lisa, who was a pretty good hand with a horse. While the others trudged down the road, Axeman turned to Thomas Blackheart and asked, "Did you get any details on how to find this halfling?"

Thomas said, "No. Pretty Eleanora told me of a warhorse, won by a lady halfling called Zea, but she did not know where the lady lives."

Axeman paused for a moment. "Skewer, Pixie, wait here. Thomas and I will see if anyone in the hostel knows where she is," Axeman said.

The hostel was a big, rough-looking building, and when Axeman opened the door noise and tobacco smoke poured out. As soon as the door was closed, Pixie wandered off to the outhouse.

When she came back, she said, "Wow! That was drafty! How long do you think it will be before we get to eat?"

"Dunno," Skewer said. "Probably when we get to camp. I got a plucked chicken from the cook at the Welcome Wench this morning and brought some carrots and fixings. I saw some oyster mushrooms when we stopped for lunch and figured it could all go in the soup. Even if Leonard can't roust up anything else in the forest, it'll still be better than you're gonna find in Nulb."

"You're making me hungrier...." Pixie grumbled.

Just as Pixie was starting to rummage through her pack to find something to eat, the door to the hostel opened, and Jason Axeman and Thomas came out. Axeman nodded to Skewer and said, "She's at the Boatmen's Tavern."

"It would have been far easier," Thomas said, "if they had just told us when we asked."

Skewer ignored him and started walking south. He knew the tavern, and the sooner they got there, the sooner they could leave. The tavern was located in the back corner of the warehouse and general store that supplied Nulb's residents with whatever they hadn't stolen from somewhere else. The path was unsurprisingly well-used. When they had worked for the Heroes, Axeman's group had come this way plenty of times to pick up supplies. With the sun sinking below the horizon, a cold wind was starting to blow through town. Skewer walked a little more quickly.

When they arrived at the market, Skewer stood aside and then followed Axeman around to the back of the building. The tavern was the same dirty room that he remembered, but this time, in the center of the room, there was a chair covered with furs up on top of a table. Sitting in the chair was a sturdy-looking female halfling with brown eyes, brown hair, and a nose that looked like it had been broken at least a couple of times. A few of the local ruffians were standing around her. One held a tray with some questionable tarts up for her, while another held a tankard. The third seemed to be cleaning.

"What have we here?" the halfling asked, as Axeman walked into the room. "Have you come to pay your respects to Queen Azalea?"

"No," Axeman said. "We're looking for Zea Umberhill to buy a warhorse. Think you can help?"

"Could be," she said with a smile. "Of course, you are wondering how I came to have a warhorse." Skewer wasn't wondering at all, but he kept his mouth shut. The small figure on her makeshift throne glanced at one of the men attending her, saying, "Why don't you tell the tale, minion?"

The man holding the tankard sagged and started to bring the mug down, but the halfling kicked him, and he held it back up again. Then, he said, "A couple of years ago, a bunch of us decided to start a wrestling competition after the end of the Needfest holiday, 'cause, you know, it's cold and boring in winter. So, we did. And it was a darn good fight, so we did it again. Well, we kept doin' it, and people kept showing up. This year, this little nugget.... Ow! Err, I mean, Queen Azalea showed up. She kept making bigger and bigger claims. Said she was 'The Umberhulk', a famous wrestler, and all that. Well, we thought we'd shut her up. And she kicked our behinds right good. And Gordon, who's an idiot when it comes to coin and women, went and bet his warhorse. Idiot!" That earned him a kick from Gordon, who was evidently the man cleaning the area around the throne. "Ow! So, the queen here won every bet, and now we're stuck here for another three days payin' for her food and drink and waitin' on her hand and foot."

Thomas laughed, while Axeman nodded and said, "So, would you be willing to sell the horse?"

The queen smiled. "I am, but there's a condition. It's gotten a little boring here. Your man there looks like he can take a punch," she said, pointing to Skewer. "Let's see if he can beat one of these fools in a wrestling match."

The room quieted, and even the greasy barkeep in the far corner of the room turned to look at him. Skewer looked back at them with contempt. It had been a long day, and he wasn't in the mood to be anyone's entertainment.

"I could just fight _you_ ," he said to the little queen with a growl, "and take the horse."


	5. A Spectre In Nulb

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The negotiations in Nulb for Azalea's warhorse continue. However, Skewer Tees may have thrown a wrench in Jason's straight-forward plan.

Jason watched as Azalea hopped down onto the table from her makeshift throne. Without her weight, the furs shifted, and he noticed something. A handle was sticking out. It looked like it belonged to some sort of polearm or axe. If things went badly, this could get very ugly indeed. Someone else in the bar seemed to think so, as one scarred young man made for the door. On the other hand, the people sitting at the bar and on the far side of the room got up and moved closer. As Azalea slowly sauntered the length of the table, she spoke.

"Well, now, this might be a more interesting evening than I expected. If you had amused me, I was going to be generous and give you a bargain on the horse. It's not much use to me. But, challenging me? That sounds like you want to make it double or nothing."

A little stunned by this change in plans, Jason said, "What do you mean?"

"Simple. If your man wins, you take the horse. If I win, I get two hundred gold for the horse. No bargaining," Azalea said.

Jason was still so startled by Skewer's challenge to the halfling that he barely knew what to think. Murmurs ran through the growing crowd. They didn't seem to care much about anything except the chance to see a fight. Smoothly, though, Thomas stepped forward.

"Only a very foolish person promises money for a horse without seeing it, Your Highness, and never without bargaining," he said with a smile and a bow. "One hundred and fifty... and we need to see the horse first."

"Oh, ho! You're quite the charmer! Well, of course, you can see the horse. I would never dream of anything less. As for the price, one seventy five," Azalea countered. She was smiling, which made Jason feel a little better, although he wasn't quite so happy with Thomas's initiative nor with the impatient comments he could hear from the drunkards clustering around.

"One sixty," Jason said, trying to take control of the situation.

"You're too serious," Azalea said, hopping down off the table. "Where's the fun in that? Fine. One sixty. However, it seems my adoring subjects are eager for another display of my skills. We'll fight first."

She turned to Skewer Tees and gestured to where a rough circle had formed in the expectant, grumbling crowd, which now included the scarred young man who had run out earlier and a number of his friends. "Shall we?"

Skewer had taken off his armor during the discussion. Leaving it with Jason for safe keeping, he followed Azalea into the ring. With a grin, Azalea reached up, gave Skewer's outstretched hand a brief shake to start the bout, and stepped quickly backwards. She didn't move fast enough. Skewer swung his other arm forward and gave Azalea a slap on the side of the head that echoed through the tavern. Jason had expected something like that. What he hadn't expected was that the halfling didn't even flinch. However, she was backed against the wall of spectators crowding in to watch.

Azalea crouched down and scooted between Skewer's legs, slamming an elbow into the back of his knee as she did so. Skewer started to fall backward as his leg collapsed under him, but Azalea had already squirmed around to the side. She had her hands up in loose fists, and as Skewer struggled to regain his balance, her hands shot out. She grabbed him with one, and lashed out with the other in a stinging blow to his ribs. Skewer tried to shake her off and push her to the ground. Ducking under Skewer's flailing arms, Azalea reached under his knee and drove it up into his armpit, which sent them tumbling to the ground. She held on as Skewer struggled to free himself, pinning him more firmly on his back.

Jason saw her smug smile and knew the fight was over. Skewer's efforts were getting him nowhere, and the crowd started to count. They never made it to ten, though. A hulking half-orc yelled out, "Oh no, you don't! I've got two gold on the new guy!" He shoved a neighbor off of a rickety stool, snatched it up, and swung it at Azalea's head.

Azalea narrowed her eyes in a grimace and dove out of the way. The interfering buffoon failed to alter his swing, and the stool swept around into the chest of its former occupant, who was being helped to his feet by his friends, all of whom were knocked to the floor. The crowd had already been worked up, and they weren't ones to miss a chance for a tavern brawl. In no time, fists were flying, and those ruffians nearby who hadn't gathered to watch the fight now rushed in to protect their friends or take advantage of a distracted enemy.

Getting involved in a bar brawl in Nulb was not a good idea. It was even worse when you had only half your usual crew and a lot of cash on hand to lose. Jason decided that it was time to get out. He gave a loud whistle to get Skewer and Pixie's attention and then considered the only door. It was blocked by those trying to get in. The fighters struggling everywhere made any movement tricky, so instead Jason turned and kicked open a nearby boarded-up window.

Pixie was over by Azalea's throne, poking at something. However, when she heard Jason's whistle, her head snapped up. Her path to Jason was blocked by a short ruddy-skinned man being punched by a burly woman with an eye patch.

For the moment, no one seemed to notice Pixie, who casually stuffed her mouth with a couple of tarts from the platter on the table and then shoved an unopened bottle into her pack. When the burly woman was distracted by the shorter man staggering against her, Pixie darted around the other side, stuffing a third tart into her mouth as she went. The woman smiled at Pixie and then turned to lay into someone else. Pixie scooted over to Jason's side. He gestured at the window, where Thomas was already climbing out. Smirking around the pastry still stuck in her mouth, Pixie followed suit. Jason picked up Skewer's armor and tossed it out too.

He turned back to look for Skewer, who was trying to claw his way out of the chaotic fray where the crowd was thickest. After a few seconds, Skewer's lumpy-nosed face appeared from the brawl. Just when Jason thought he had made it out, Skewer fell. Jason saw the big man turn, kick, and then drag himself free. There was blood running down his face, and he swayed a little. Skewer staggered over a few fallen fighters, made his way to the window, and threw himself out into the darkness. Jason followed as soon as Skewer had rolled out of the way. He hit the snow with a thud, not being especially nimble in his heavy armor.

Weak light from the tavern shone through the broken window, but it was nearly dark outside. It took several moments for everyone to collect themselves. No one inside seemed to care about their departure. The group was mostly tired and hungry, Skewer's movements were slow, and he winced as Jason helped him strap his armor on. It was probably better to go to camp and return later to try again. Jason opened his mouth to say this, when a bardiche came flying out the window and landed at his feet. He couldn't see it well, but the haft of the six foot axe looked like it might have some carving, and the big, curved blade glinted in the light from the window. As Jason tried to figure out what was happening, Azalea vaulted out of the window and landed on her feet looking smug.

"The mess in there isn't getting cleaned up any time soon," she said, picking up her weapon from the snow, "so I thought I'd take you over to see the horse. Interested?"

"Yeah," Jason said, trying not to seem startled. "Lead the way."

The wind had gotten colder. Jason's team shivered inside their clammy winter clothing as they followed the little halfling away from the tavern. At the end of the road was the smithy that used to belong to Elmo's brother, Otis. Azalea led them around the side, leaned her enormous weapon against the wall, and knocked on a door. It opened, and a man with a lantern and a short sword looked out. He frowned at the party, then looked down and saw Azalea. His face softened a little, and he said, "Looks like you've found yourself a buyer?"

"Seems so," she said with a satisfied look. "Let us in, okay?"

The big man nodded. He pulled on a coat and hat, before stepping out and locking the door behind him. Then, he led them around to the back of the building, where there was a stable. Jason could hear the movement of horses inside, and the smell was unmistakable. The man unlocked the door and lit a lantern. He handed it to Azalea then sat down in a chair by the door.

Azalea showed them down the short row of stalls. In the last one was a massive horse, looking over the gate at them with curious eyes. While Skewer examined the animal, Jason looked into the stall and took a moment to appreciate what a good-looking horse he was. He had dark legs and a dark mane, and his dark face had a pale stripe running from his forehead to his muzzle. The rest of his body was silver that seemed to glow in the lantern light.

"His name is Spectre," Azalea said.

Skewer Tees gave Jason a nod, which was a relief, since Jason really wanted the horse. "We agreed on one sixty," he said.

"You bet your armored ass we did," Azalea said.

Jason walked over to a little table still within the light of the lantern and counted out the coins. He stepped back, and Azalea scooped them up, dropping them into a pouch. When the clink of coins stopped, she stuck out her hand to Jason and said, "Nice doing business with you."

"Thank you, Miss Umberhill."

"Oh, please, call me Zea," she said.

And that was it. They put a halter on Spectre and led him out into the night. Luna, the larger moon, was full, and its light was bright enough to cast shadows on the snow. How many times had Jason walked down this road? Dozens? It was comforting to know that at the end of it lay their camp with a warm bowl of soup, a bedroll, and the rest of his team. Soon, they would be moving on. Jason hoped he was doing the right thing, leading them to the west. It seemed like a good choice, but if he could let a simple bargaining session develop into a tavern brawl, was he really the right one to decide?


	6. Ghost Stories

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A restful interlude around the campfire sheds some light on the group's past.

Leonard dipped a long spoon into the soup pot to make sure that it wasn't getting too thick. Lisa, William, and Ralek were sitting back a little from the fire, having already eaten. The other half of the team had been gone for a while, and he worried that the soup was going to burn. Skewer wouldn't be pleased. Thinking of Skewer Tees brought up thoughts of Pire the Cleric, and Pire, of course, reminded Leonard of St. Cuthbert. It was serious business to give up everything to do holy work, but St. Cuthbert was all about serious business. There had been all too much frivolity in Littleburrow, where Leonard had grown up, and he had had enough of that to be sure. Which brought him back to the business of stirring the pot. If you were going to do something, you should do it right.

The snort of a horse down the path coming from Nulb got Leonard's attention, and he gestured to the others that someone was coming. Everyone readied their weapons, but it was Jason Axeman who stepped out of the gloom of the frosty woods into the firelight.

It was a relief to have the whole group together again, and a smile spread across Leonard's face as the tension ebbed from his body. His eyes grew wide, though, when he saw the horse that they were leading. He was enormous! Lisa seemed drawn to the animal, getting up and slowly walking over to him. The horse remained calm. His dark eyes watched those around him. His breath steamed as he smelled the air of the camp, but that was all. The horse reminded Leonard of the centaurs who lived near Littleburrow. While lacking any human features, the horse seemed to have an almost human intelligence, combined with the power of a beast. Jason secured the horse by the other two, Baltus and Dancer.

Pixie had taken Skewer aside and seemed to be fussing over him. Leonard took a step toward them, but Jason waved him back. "There was a fight," Jason said. "Pixie will handle it."

"What happened?" Lisa asked.

Thomas smiled, stepped forward, and looked like he was going to launch into an epic retelling of the story, when Jason said, "Azalea Umberhill wanted some entertainment. It ended up in a tavern brawl. Skewer took a few hits, but in the end, we got the horse. His name is Spectre, although - truth be told - I'd rather that it wasn't."

Thomas deflated and shot an annoyed glance at Jason. However, he didn't seem to resent the loss of his tale too much as he made his way over to Leonard to get some soup. After ladling out a bowl for Thomas, Leonard turned to Jason and asked, "Why don't you like the name 'Spectre'? It seems like a fitting one for him."

Jason looked slightly uncomfortable. "Not long after we were rescued from the Temple," he said, gesturing down the road to where the Temple of Elemental Evil once stood, "we set up camp here."

It seemed like Jason was getting warmed up for more of a tale than he'd told about the tavern brawl. He sighed as Leonard served him a bowl of soup, took a couple of bites and then continued.

"It was like any other night. Skewer Tees had started dinner. William and I talked with Hans about the ghouls that had dragged us off to the Temple before we got rescued. Finally, the Heroes returned from exploring the Temple. They had been beaten up, but their pockets and packs were full of gold. Gnarsh was unconscious, but they didn't seem concerned. Pire bandaged him and then lectured us for an hour about consorting with elves. After that, we ate and then planned the watch."

Everyone had stopped what they were doing and gathered around the fire to hear the story. Pixie had finished tending to Skewer's wounds, and the two of them were eating as they listened. Leonard moved to an open spot on one of the log benches and sat down.

"I had last watch with Diren. It was cold but not freezing. There was rain and some hail. We sat near the fire. Diren was telling me about a room full of bats in the Moat House, when we heard a gasp. We turned. There was this... thing bent over Hans. And then, it turned toward us. It was mostly just shadow, but there were two pin-pricks of light for eyes, staring at us."

Jason looked down at his bowl of soup. His voice was quiet.

"It was the most scared I've ever been," Jason said. "Diren dashed away from the fire. He was yelling about ghosts to wake the others. Then, he turned and shot an arrow back at the thing, but he missed. Spit woke up, jumped to his feet, and shot an arrow too. It missed. Everyone was waking up, and it was chaos. We - the men at arms - didn't know what to do. We fought bandits, not magical monsters. Pire finally shouted that it was a wraith and that we needed magic to kill it.

"All I could think of was that I had to help, since the Heroes saved us from the Temple. Gnarsh was still unconscious, so I went and grabbed his axe. It was a huge thing, and I remember hearing that it was magic. So, I grabbed it from the tent where they had Gnarsh resting.

"I saw Elmo charge at the wraith. He missed too. There was room next to him, so I stepped up and swung the axe. It sliced through the shadow, and at first I thought it didn't do anything. But then, I noticed a little shred fall away from it. I guess I hurt it a little. Eventually, the Heroes were all gathered around with whatever magical weapons they could find. We all kept at it until finally Elmo brought it down.

"I thought we were done, but I was wrong. Not a minute later, one of those wraiths was coming out of Hans's body. We stood around it, swinging and swinging and swinging. Somehow we survived, though some of Elmo's life had been drained away. The Heroes gave me Gnarsh's old axe and put me in charge of the men at arms. I've done my best, but I hope to never see one of those things ever again."

Ralek sat forward a little, looked at Pixie, and said, "You're a cleric. You know how to fight undead, right?"

Pixie was playing with her spoon. She looked up at Ralek and then at everyone else around the fire, who were now looking at her, and dropped her spoon into her empty bowl. "Well, not so much. I follow Zagyg, and he doesn't really care much about the undead. He's more about making sure people's lives aren't boring and about really cool magic! I don't have any special powers for undead. Not like Pire. But I can totally put curses on people!"

Lisa frowned and said, "I know about undead, as I was raised by the Church of St. Cuthbert. Like Jason said, you use magic with wraiths and ghosts. You use smashing weapons for skeletons and sharp ones for zombies. Vampires and werewolves are hurt by silver. Devils too, sometimes."

Skewer looked up from the fire and said, "Cold iron for faeries. Sprites and dryads and pixies and things like that."

Startled, Leonard said, "So, you can't hurt an elf with a regular sword?"

Pixie laughed. "Elves aren't faeries!"

Now, Leonard was confused. "But Pire told me about faeries and elves and demons and all sorts of other creatures that don't have souls, and he said that..."

There was a lot of shouting, and William, who was sitting near Leonard, put his hand on Leonard's shoulder and said, "I know that Pire is your sponsor in the church, but you shouldn't really believe everything he says."

"I knew the part about werewolves!" Pixie grumbled. "Everybody knows you need silver for them. But you don't always need to stab a wererat. They're cool. One time, I met one back in Greyhawk, and he gave me good advice about how to kill pigeons with a sling."

Lisa was beginning to scowl, and Leonard thought that perhaps letting Pixie and Lisa argue could lead to problems. William seemed to agree, as he said, "Slings. That brings up an important point. Everyone should have ranged weapons. Do you all?"

There were affirmative noises and comments from around the camp, although Ralek said, "I've got a throwing hammer."

"One?" William asked.

"Yeah."

"We'll have to make sure that you get a few more or some kind of ammunition. I like javelins, myself. It's easy to carry several. When you can't get close, one shot might not always do the job."

There was some discussion about the best ranged weapons, and Lisa started telling the group about the longbow from which she took her name. The discussion was interesting, but Leonard was struggling to keep his eyes open. He excused himself, as did a couple of the others, and made his way over to the men's tent.

Leonard crawled into his chilly bedroll, listening to the voices of the few who were still talking by the fire. He rolled over on his back and looked up at the roof of the tent. For weeks, Leonard had been ignoring the reality of his situation, but this trip - even if it was just a short one to Nulb - was forcing him to finally face the truth. Jason and his group were going to leave Hommlet. When Leonard left Littleburrow, he had pledged to serve St. Cuthbert, and some of Jason's team clearly needed a few taps from Cuthbert's cudgel of guidance. However, accepting the invitation to join Jason and the group meant he was going to have to tell Pire, and telling Pire was going to be no simple task. On the other hand, unlike Pixie's Zagyg, St. Cuthbert staunchly opposed undead, and having the skills to fight them might make him better at serving the world around him and St. Cuthbert. Would it be better to stay with the church and learn more?

Rolling onto his side, Leonard sighed. He was going to have to choose.


End file.
